Peer support groups make a difference in nurse wellbeing

 Regular peer group support sessions can improve the wellbeing of mental health nurses, according to new collaborative research out of Western Australia.

The study, led by Dr Alannah Cooper, senior lecturer in Murdoch University’s School of Nursing, along with Murdoch University Emeritus Dr Rich Read, colleagues from Royal Perth Bently Group, The University of Western Australia (UWA) School of Medicine, and Curtin University School of Nursing, evaluated an intervention designed to enhance nurse wellbeing.  

Regular peer support sessions were implemented, and attended by mental health nurses during their work day.   

By the end of the intervention, more favourable wellbeing scores were significantly associated with higher attendance levels at the sessions.  

Dr Cooper said feedback from participants demonstrated that the peer groups promoted social support in the workplace, a known attribute of nurse resilience and wellbeing.  

“The demanding nature of mental health nurse work can lead to stressors that negatively impact psychological health and contribute to nurse retention within the profession,” Dr Cooper said.   

“Despite wide recognition of these challenges, there hasn’t previously been much research about how external factors can help foster nurse wellbeing.  

“We found that by introducing the peer group support sessions, nurses had a dedicated time to come together, and this fostered connection and opportunities to share experiences.  

“This in turn made participants feel valued and heard, which is essential to enabling nurses to practice effectively. It’s particularly important in the context of the isolation that mental health nurses can feel in their work.”  

Dr Cooper said participants widely viewed the intervention as beneficial, expressing a desire for continued peer group sessions in the future. While the intervention was widely viewed as beneficial, underlying issues with workplace conditions were a barrier to attendance.   

“Modifications during the intervention period to make attendance flexible boosted participation and allowed for the unpredictable nature of the clinical environment,” Dr Cooper said.  

“The importance of supportive nurse managers in facilitating attendance was also highlighted, emphasising the key role nurse managers can have in supporting nurse wellbeing and retention.  

“Given that greater exposure to the intervention was associated with better outcomes, it would be ideal for issues with workplace conditions that prevent attendance, to be addressed, to support our mental health nurses."   

Researchers collected qualitative and quantitative data through semi-structured interviews and surveys at three timepoints during the intervention: baseline, mid-intervention, and post-intervention.   

The full published research is available in The International Journal of Mental Health Nursing.